19. Olivia
CHAPTER 19
Olivia
W aking to Ira’s soft purr as her head rubs against my chin, I don’t even bother opening my eyes as I reach out from under the covers to scratch between her ears. I’m not ready to be awake. I don’t want to face the day because I won’t get to relish in the fact that I’m waking up in Bax’s bed with him for the first time—his big body curled around mine, his hand on my stomach, and his warm breath on the back of my neck. Instead, I’m going to have to deal with my brother when he eventually shows up to drop off Rebecca.
She called me last night not to ask where Bax and I were so she could meet back up with us. No, she called to tell me that she was going home with Liam and spending the night at his place. I tried to squash that plan, but she was insistent. And I couldn’t exactly tell her what to do, not when she is a grown adult with the ability to make her own decisions. Even if those decisions are horrible ones.
“I can hear you thinking.” Bax’s deep, sleepy voice brushes against the small hairs at the nape of my neck, and I can’t stop the tingle from spreading down my spine.
“Sorry.”
“Still worried about Rebecca?”
“Yes.” I roll over to face him and tip my head back to meet his gaze. “If I didn’t know my brother’s history with women, I might be able to put my feelings aside, but I know the kind of guy he is. I know that he?—”
“Is thinking the same thing about you being with me,” he says softly, and my eyes slide closed. Damn, way to knock me down off my high horse . “And he might be upset with you and me, but he wouldn’t go about getting back at you by fucking your friend.”
“I just don’t want to see Rebecca get hurt,” I mumble as his hand moves from my hip to the back of my thigh.
“I get that, but at the end of the day, you have no say over what she does, and worrying about it won’t change anything.”
“It’s annoying that you’re right,” I grumble, and a grin tugs at his lips.
“Now, do you want pancakes?” he asks, but I’m distracted by the feel of his hand on my thigh as it moves up over my bottom.
“What?”
“Pancakes?”
“Yes.” I swallow.
“Coffee?”
“Yeah,” I breathe as he uses his hold on my ass to pull me closer, so close that my chest presses tightly against his that is bare, and my nipples scrape against the material of my tank. I swallow hard and wait for the kiss I know is coming when his eyes drop back down to my mouth.
Of course, we’ve kissed before, but when his lips press against mine this time, something about it is different. I don’t know if it’s because we’re in his bed or if it’s because his one rule is now out the window, but whatever it is, it doesn’t take long for the kiss to become more. For our hands to start exploring, mine moving over his bare chest and abs, his hand pulling my thigh up over his, bringing us impossibly closer.
When I feel his hard cock through his boxers and my sleep shorts, I gasp into his mouth, then whimper when his hand moves down the back of my shorts. I feel his skin against mine, the pads of his fingers digging into my flesh. Rolling toward me, he settles his weight half on me as his mouth leaves mine, and his lips brush down my throat to the top of my breast. Grasping onto the sheet with one hand and his bicep with the other, I press my head back into the pillow and squeeze my leg around his hip, holding my breath.
The rough scruff on his jaw scrapes against my skin as he uses his chin to pull down the top of my tank, and I feel his warm breath against my nipple before his lips drag across it. Every move feels slow, calculated, and thought out enough just to torture me. My insides spasm and a moan climbs up the back of my throat when his hand on my bottom slides deeper into my shorts. His fingers slide through the wet between my legs, and he groans right before his warm mouth pulls my nipple between his lips, tugging hard.
Digging my nails into his bicep, I gasp when his fingers float over my clit. His light touch has me chasing his fingers, wanting more. I swear I feel him smile against my breast when a mewl of disappointment leaves the back of my throat as his hand slides out from between my legs and he lets my breast go. I start to tip my head down to look at him, to see if I’m right, but before I can, his hand is moving across my hip, down my belly, and then he cups my center. Two fingers press against my clit, then slide down, hovering just outside of me.
“Fuck.” His forehead drops to my chest while his chest heaves. “You’re so fucking wet for me, Oli.”
“I know.” I wiggle my hips, and he lifts his forehead from my chest, his eyes locking on mine as he slides his fingers inside me.
“Give me your eyes,” he orders, and my eyes, which I didn’t know had closed open as he drags his fingers out of me slowly, and he puts pressure on my clit with his thumb when he slides them back in. My insides are a twisted mess, the knot in my lower belly so tight that I’m afraid of what might happen when it snaps.
“Bax,” I breathe when a tingle begins to spread from my scalp and down my torso as my thighs begin to shake.
“Right here.” The gruff sound of his voice has me lifting my head off my pillow, and knowing what I’m seeking, his mouth covers mine. The kiss is wet, deep, and so hot that I know that even if he didn’t have his hand between my legs, I still might come.
“Oh God,” I whimper, pulling my mouth from his, and his teeth nip my earlobe. Overwhelmed and on the verge of falling over the edge, it takes me a second to register the fact that he’s gone completely still and that I can hear Gemma barking from the living room.
“Fuck,” he clips, dropping his forehead back to the center of my chest when the doorbell rings.
“No.” I dig my nails into his bicep as my heart pounds, and I pulse around his fingers, still inside me like my body is physically attempting to get him to keep going. Lifting his head, he finds my eyes with his, and his jaw clenches tight. “No,” I repeat, wondering if I might actually cry from being left on the edge like this.
“I’m going to kill whoever that is,” he whispers when the bell rings again.
“You should go do that and then come back here,” I whisper, and his big body starts to shake before he laughs. “I’m not being funny.”
“I know.” He slowly drags his fingers out of me, skimming across my clit and causing my hips to jerk. “Promise I’ll make it up to you.” He presses his lips to mine, and then he rolls over me, getting to his feet at the side of the bed.
Biting my lip, I watch him adjust himself—or attempt to. He’s so big and so hard that there is no way he can hide his erection. Grabbing his sweats from the end of the bed, he puts them on as my phone starts to ring.
Rolling over to my side and adjusting my tank top, I pick up my cell and see it’s Rebecca calling.
“Hey,” I greet, trying to hide the fact that I’m out of breath. Putting the call on speaker, I watch him walk into the bathroom, where I hear the sink turn on.
“Are you at Bax’s?” she asks.
“Yeah, are you at the door?”
“We are.”
We are—meaning my brother is with her.
Great.
“Sorry, we were sleeping,” I lie, then add, “Bax is coming. He’ll be there in a sec.”
“Okay, we’ll wait,” she mutters, then says goodbye.
Flopping to my back, I stare at the ceiling as I listen to Bax in the bathroom.
“It’s Reb and my brother,” I grumble when he walks back into the room a minute later.
“I figured.” His eyes lock on mine as he walks toward the bed. When he’s closed the space, he leans down to me and presses his fists into the mattress next to my hips. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready.” He touches his lips to mine, a hint of mint on his breath.
Pushing away from me, he stands and heads to the door, stopping to look back at me. His gaze lingers for a long moment before he shakes his head and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
Dragging in a breath, I toss back the blanket, get to my feet, and go to the bathroom where I left my stuff last night. Even if I have no desire to be around Liam right now, I do want to lay eyes on my friend to make sure she’s okay. I don’t take my time; I quickly brush my teeth, then because I’m in a sleep set that is one of the more provocative ones I own, I go to Bax’s closet, grab a sweatshirt, and put it on over my tank and shorts, noting it’s one for his favorite football team.
When I leave the bedroom, I can hear Rebecca in the kitchen talking to Bax but can’t hear Liam’s voice, so I don’t expect to see him sitting at the bar with a cup of coffee in his hand when I walk around the corner.
“Morning,” I greet, and Rebecca turns to look at me with a bright smile.
“Hey, sunshine. Sorry for waking you guys up.” She stops to kiss my cheek as she walks past me with a mug of coffee.
“How was last night?” I ask her, and she looks at Liam, and I swear if this was a cartoon, I would see bubble hearts floating around her head.
“So fun. Liam showed me around Nashville, and this morning, he took me to this cute little café for breakfast.”
I look at my brother, then her. I can’t tell if the two of them did anything more than hang out, and I can’t exactly ask her any questions with him sitting right here. Also, I don’t really want to know because that’s just gross.
“That’s fun.” I look up at Bax when he holds out a mug of coffee for me.
Bending down toward me, he touches his lips to my cheek, whispering, “Nice sweatshirt.” I start to smile but jump when the thud of a coffee mug hits the counter hard.
I look over at Liam and find him glaring at the two of us.
“That’s the shit I can’t deal with.” He points between Bax and me.
“You can leave,” Bax tells him before looking at me. “Still want pancakes?”
“Not if it’s going to be too much work.”
“So that’s a yes.” He gives me a soft smile and walks to the pantry.
“What time is your flight this evening?” I ask Rebecca, lifting my mug to my lips, and she pops out her bottom lip while I swear I notice Liam stiffen.
“Ten, so I need to be there around eight. I can’t believe it’s already time to go home.”
“Me neither. This weekend went by way too quickly.”
“Maybe I’ll plan another trip in a few months.”
“A few months?” Liam turns to her, and she shrugs.
“Yeah, if I can get time off work.”
“A few months ?” he repeats, and she tips her head to the side.
“That’s what I just said.”
“What the fuck was last night?” he asks, and her cheeks darken ever so slightly.
“It was fun.”
“Fun?” He shakes his head in disbelief.
“I’m confused.” She frowns at him. “You’re the one who”—she looks my way out the corner of her eye before dropping her voice—“told me you only like to have fun.”
Opening his mouth, he then closes it and glares at her.
Oh my God, he likes her. Like actually likes her, and it’s obvious he thought last night was more than fun and is shocked that she is just gonna go back to Chicago without thinking twice about him. My brother has probably never been in a situation like this in his life. Or he has, but the shoe has always been on the other foot. And although part of me wants to say, “Ha! That’s your karma,” another part of me feels bad for him.
“We’ll talk about it when I take you to the airport tonight,” he says after a moment.
“What?” she asks, her brows dragging together as she looks over at me. “I think Olivia is dropping me off.”
“She was. Now, I’m going to.” He turns away from her and picks up his coffee.
I look at Rebecca—who now looks confused and maybe a little freaked out—and then Liam, who’s still looking pissed but also determined. Having seen that look from him throughout my life when he hasn’t gotten his way, I rub my lips together.
Well, this should be interesting… and either really bad or really good.
When there is a tapping at the back door, I look that way and see both Lucy and Gemma are waiting, with both their noses pressed to the glass. When Liam gets up to let them in, I look at my best friend, and she gives me an awkward smile, which I return with an awkward one of my own.